God Help the People Who Protest Against a President who is STRESSING the importance of Education

Puh-lease help them, thy conservatives.

Can you believe that people are protesting against the POTUS plans to address school children with the message to highlight the importance of education?

Check this out:
Obama goes back to school

On September 8, in what the Department of Education is touting as a "historic" speech, President Obama will be talking directly to students across the U.S., live on the White House website. But some parents and conservatives are blasting the president, calling the speech an excuse to brainwash American children.

Last month, in an interview with 11-year-old student reporter Damon Weaver, the president announced his big back-to-school plan:

"I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education; about the importance of staying in school; how we want to improve our education system and why it’s so important for the country. So I hope everybody tunes in."

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a letter to the nation's principals, inviting schools to watch the speech and included suggested classroom activities. But Jim Greer, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, came out swinging against the planned speech. An excerpt from his statement:

"The address scheduled for September 8, 2009, does not allow for healthy debate on the President's agenda, but rather obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our President's initiatives or be ostracized by their teachers and classmates."

NBC spoke with Katie Gordon, a spokeswoman for the Florida Republican Party, who said the party's "beef" is with the accompanying lesson plans. The guide for pre-K through grade 6 suggests questions students think about during the speech, such as "What is the President trying to tell me? What is the President asking me to do?"

The plan for grades 7-12 includes a "guided discussion," with suggested topics: "What resonated with you from President Obama's speech? What is President Obama inspiring you to do?"

The Cato Institute, a public-policy research foundation, issued a press release entitled "Hey Obama, Leave Those Kids Alone," criticizing the "troubling buzzwords" in the lesson plans:

"It's one thing for a president to encourage all kids to work hard and stay in school – that's a reasonable use of the bully pulpit. It's another thing entirely, however, to have the U.S. Department of Education send detailed instructions to public schools nationwide on how to glorify the president and the presidency, and push them to drive social change."

Across the blogosphere, comments covered the spectrum, from critical to supportive, and from one student, a little anger:

"I sent my children to school to be educated NOT indoctrinated." — justamom

"The fact that people want to keep their kids from hearing the President of the United States encourage them to do well in school shows a true level of ignorance." — Firefey

"As an [sic] 9th grade student, I'd like to say that 1. I'm not sure why everyone is so scared that we'll all be brainwashed by the President ... 2. My school is one that is not allowing us to watch the speech, and quite frankly, I'm pissed." — Willbw

Both Presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan both gave speeches aimed specifically at students that were nationally televised. In 1989, Bush delivered a televised anti-drug speech, and Reagan's 1986 commencement speech and Q&A session was "beamed over public television into 171 school districts," according to the L.A. Times.

It's worth noting that schools are, encouraged, not required, to air the speech. The Houston Chronicle reports that one Dallas school district is leaving the decision to individual teachers. Susan Dacus, spokeswoman for the Wylie school district, says parents who don't want their children to see it can opt out.

In an ironic twist, one Missouri school won't be airing the speech because of a lack of funding. Michelle Baumstark, spokeswoman for Columbia public schools, told the Columbia Daily Tribune, "We don’t have the funding or the equipment to support that type of broadcasting.”

First Day of School ...

As a kid, the month of September always made me a bit sad. While it was fun to head back to school and see all my friends and classmates, it was always a little tough to bid farewell to another summer. I would always look back at the fond memories, the days at the beach, days in the park and other great times. Whether it was barbeque in the backyard or listening to FM radio belt out the top tunes of summer, the summers spent as a kid were all wonderful.

When school started, I always wondered what the dogs thought?

They had their kids to play with all summer long and all of a sudden. Poof. It would come to an end.

I used to drive to the park and look at all the empty space in the late afternoon. Spaces filled with picnics and kids playing ball all summer long were empty. It was always a bit depressing.

But, that depression was offset by a spirit of new hope. A new beginning each year. Maybe new teachers, new subjects or even a new school or new kids joining my school. The weather was always great in September in NYC. I loved that.

The Jerry Lewis telethon would be on TV, coupled with the U.S. Open tennis tournament and the start of football season. It was all great stuff. Connors vs. McEnroe, The JETS.

As I start this blog, I have sent the URL to only a handful of friends. To get it started, I thought it was best to write a little over the summer and to figure out - step-by-step, brick-by-brick, day-by-day - what form this blog would take.

I found it was best to think of subjects but also let the news of the day take the lede. That way, I would write what was in my mind or in my heart. Maybe a deep thought or some analysis on a news item. Maybe just some random thoughts, like I am doing today.

I might ask, with today's blog, anyone with a great memory of early September send it in as a comment.

I want to leave a little comment of my own: While we are fortunate and everyone I know attends or attended a great school, I look around in my NYC neighborhood and see a pretty serious crisis. We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. In a city that many call the 'greatest in the world.' Yet, schools are in crisis. Poor facilities. Over-crowding. Difficulty paying and keeping good teachers. School buildings and infrastructure at an all time worst.

Government officials always campaign with great promises and policy.

I remember when I first voted at the school (pictured above) in 1999. Soon after, the building was declared unsafe and it was closed. Scaffolding was erected and it became a community catastophy and eye-sore for seven and a half years. Each Election Day, the city officials would stand out on the corners and shake hands, promising that the school was under review. They would blame it on Governor Pataki and Albany red tape. If we voted for them, they would fix it.

Well, when Pataki was out the door, the scaffolding came down and a deal was struck with a local real estate developer to build a new middle school. Above the four or five floors of the school, the developer would build his high rise apartments and make some money. The valuable land was turned over and the community will have a new school in 2 or 3 years.

I can't wait to watch the first day of school that year.